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The Temptation of Jesus Christ

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The Temptation of Jesus Christ Scholars Crossing The Second Person File Theological Studies 10-2017 The Temptation of Jesus Christ Harold Willmington Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/second_person Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Practical Theology Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Willmington, Harold, "The Temptation of Jesus Christ" (2017). The Second Person File. 10. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/second_person/10 This The Early Ministry of Jesus Christ is brought to you for free and open access by the Theological Studies at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Second Person File by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS CHRIST: FACTS CONCERNING TEMPTATION IN REGARD TO BOTH THE SON OF GOD AND THE SAINTS OF GOD "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him" (Mt. 4:1-11). Temptation and the Son of God In what ways can the temptations experienced by the first Adam and the second Adam be compared and contrasted? A. The comparison: In his first epistle, John separated all temptations into three general categories or groups (1 Jn 2:16). These are: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The first Adam was tempted in each area (Gen. 3:6). "The tree was good for food" (the lust of the flesh). "It was pleasant to the eyes" (the lust of the eyes). "A tree desired to make one wise" (the pride of life). The second Adam was tempted in each area. "Command that these stones be made bread" (the lust of the flesh). "The devil...showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them" (the lust of the eyes). "Cast thyself down: for . he shall give his angels charge concerning thee" (the pride of life). B. The contrast The first Adam was tempted in a beautiful garden, while the second Adam met Satan in a desolate wilderness. The first Adam experienced total failure, while the second Adam was completely victorious. Did Satan know who he was tempting? He did indeed. The account in Mt. 4:3 and 4:6 is in the indicative mode in the Greek and should be rendered, "Since you are the Son of God." What benefits did Satan offer Him? A. First temptation: To fill His stomach (and thus depend upon His own resources). B. Second temptation: To jump off the temple (and thus force the hand of the Father). C. Third temptation: To grasp the kingdoms of this world (and thus refuse Calvary). What trick did Satan use during the second temptation? He attempted to confuse Christ by quoting Scripture out of context (compare Mt. 4:6 with Psa. 91:11-12). In essence, he did the same thing in dealing with the first Adam (Gen. 3:1). Why are Jesus' temptations associated with a period of forty days? This number is often one of tempting or testing as found in the Bible. Examples would be: A. Moses (Ex. 24:18; 34:28) B. Israel (Deut. 8:2-3) C. Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) D. Goliath (1 Sam. 17:16) Did Satan really have the right to offer Christ "all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them" (Mt. 4:8)? A. In a shallow and temporary sense, yes (see John 14:30; Eph. 2:2; 6:12; 1 John 5:19; Rev. 13:7). B. In the deepest and most eternal sense, no. “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel" (Psa. 2:6-9). “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Rev. 11:15) How did Christ answer Satan? By the Word of God. A. First temptation: “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Compare Mt. 4:4 with Deut. 8:3.) B. Second temptation: "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (Compare Mt. 4:7 with Deut. 6:16.) This temptation was probably an attempt for him to prematurely (and wrongly) fulfill Malachi 3:1: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." Satan's supreme object in the temptation ordeal was to cause Christ to act by Himself, independent of the Father. Just what does it mean to tempt God? Israel is said to have tempted God on ten specific occasions en route to the promised land (see Num. 14:11, 22; Heb. 3:9). It means simply to presume upon the goodness of God. It refers to using this goodness in a selfish way. It means to force God's hand on something. Had Christ actually jumped from this temple pinnacle, God would have been forced to step in and save Christ from smashing His physical body on the ground below. C. Third temptation: "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Compare Mt. 4:10 with Deut. 6:13. See also James 4:7.) Dr. Everett F. Harrison writes the following about the third temptation: "In this final episode Satan is unmasked. Gone is any suggestion that he is working for the best interests of the Son of God. No citation from Scripture is offered. Satan reveals the innermost secret of his being. Much as he enjoys the distinction of being the prince of this world, a distinction only sin has enabled him to achieve, he covets something else infinitely more. He would be like the Most High. He would receive to himself what is most characteristically and exclusively the perogative of God, namely, worship. A true angel abhors the very thought of being worshiped (Rev. 22:8-9), but this fallen angel fiercely, cravenly covets it. That such an offer was extended to Jesus is a testimony to his greatness. The stakes are high. When Satan made Judas his victim, his bait was a mere thirty pieces of silver. Indeed Satan could not well offer a lesser inducement to our Lord, for the nations were the promised inheritance of the Messiah and the uttermost parts of the earth were his anticipated possession (Psa. 2:8). In Psalm 2 this passage follows immediately the divine recognition of the sonship of the Messiah, the focal point of the temptation. 'Ask of me,' says God, but Satan brazenly usurps the place of the Almighty." (A Short Life of Christ, p. 90) As can be seen, Christ quotes from the book of Deuteronomy each time. It is no accident that higher criticism in Germany began with Deuteronomy in its vicious attack against the Bible. Is this the only time Satan tempted Christ? No. In Luke 4:13 we are told: "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." Note especially the last three words. Satan tempted Christ all through His ministry. At least three specific instances come to mind here in which, at a later date, Satan continued his tempting work against Christ. A. As expressed by the 5,000 men Christ fed: "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone" (Jn. 6:15).
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